Socket adapter



Feb. 24, 1942. v F. D. BRYANT firm. v 2,274,357

SOCKET ADA P'IER Filed Oct. 31, 1959 2 Sheds-Sheet} Igventors: Frank D. Bryant,

William RYou g,

8 Their Attorney.

Feb. 24, 1942.

Fl D. BRYANT EIAL socxm' ADAPTER Filed Oct 31, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 mmy e 0mm w t Y t DR M kmf u, Vfia g Q H F W H T Fig. I0.

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 SOCKET ADAPTER Frank D. Bryant, Stratford, and .William R. I Young, Fairfield, Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 31, iesaseriai Ne. 302,150

. 9 Claims.

This invention relates to socket adapters, and more particularly to a socket adapter for use with an incandescent lamp, for example, a reflector lamp.

An object of the invention is the provision of an adapter which permits the lamp to be adjusted through a wide range of angular positions in both vertical and horizontal planes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adapter of the type described, which is of rugged construction, which comprises relatively few parts, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

' In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows a reflector lamp mounted in an angularly adjustable receptacle forming part of the adapter; Fig. 2 is a view showing the angular adjustment of the receptacle in a vertical plane; Fig. 3 is a view showing the angular adjustment of the receptacle in a horizontal plane; Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the adapter; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the elements of the adapter; Fig.

dis a sectional view along the line 66 of Fig.

4; Fig. '7 is a View showing the adapter modified foruse on the cover of an outlet box; Fig. 8 is a plan view of an outlet box cover showing the supporting base for the adapter; Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the adapter and outlet boX; Fig. 10 is a view of a modification of the adapter; andFig. 11 is a similar view of the modified form of adapter taken at right angles to the viewer Fig. 10. l L l Referring to the drawings, the adapter comprises generallyan electric plug I8 adapted to be insertedin a plug receptacle, orthelike, and which is pivotally connected to a receptacle 19 adapted to-receive the base of an electric device, for example, an incandescent lamp 2B. In Fig. 1 the adapter is shown as supporting a reflector lamp. Such lamps arefrequently used in showcase window lighting so that they must be adjusted through a wide range of angles to project a beam. of light to any point in the showcase. This means that the lamp must be adjustable in both vertical and horizontal planes. To this end, the receptacle I9 is so mounted on the plug base l8 that it may be moved through a vertical angle of approximately 180 degrees, as shown in Fig. 2, and also through a horizontal angle of approximately 350 degrees, as shown by Fig. 3.

then mounting the reflector lamp on the adjustable receptacle l9.

Referring now to the structure of the adapter, as shown by Figs. 4 and .5, the electric plug I8 is provided with a body 2| of insulating material, for example, a molded plastic. The body is provided with an interior recess 22 having an open end. This. end of the recess is closed by means of a cap or disk 23 of insulating material which serves to hold a threaded shell 24 in position on the exterior of the plug body by engaging the inturned flanges 2 5. One contact of the electric plug I8 is formed by the screw shell while the other contact. is; provided for by a bolt 26 extending through an opening 21in the closure disk 23 and which engages a U-shaped nut 28 having opposed arms 29. The arms 29 rest in slots 30 in opposite walls of the recess 22, so that the nut is prevented from turning as the screw 26 is threaded down thereon thereby clamping the disk 23 and the screw shell firmly against the body of the plug to close the end of the recess 22. Screw 26 and thethreaded shell 24 form the contact elements of the electric plug I 8 and provide a structure which may be threaded into any conventional electric receptacle.

At the other end, the plug body 2| is provided with an. annular shoulder 3| adapted to receive an annular disk 32 having an upstanding arm 33. The disk 32 and arm.33 form, in efiect, an angle member which is rotatably supported on the plug body 2| by virtue of the fact that the .disk 32 is rotatably seated within the annular By this construction it is possible to provide a wide range of angularadjustment for a reflector lamp to be used in existing installations simply by removing the lamp frcm its support,

threading the plug base I8 into the latter, and

shoulder 31. Rotation of the angular member is limitedto approximately350 degrees by a key 34 extending from the disk 32 and which travels within a trough 35 adjacent the shoulder 3|, the trough being provided with an abutment member36 which forms, a stop member for the key. The angle member is held rotatably mounted on the plug body by means of a hollow rivet 31 which passes through an opening 38 in' the plug body and a similar opening 39 in the disk 32. At its inner end, the rivet is provided with a rectangular flange 43 which is held in non-rotatable relation withinthe slots 4| formed in the walls of the recess 22 adjacent the grooves 30. At its outer end the rivet is turned over the 'disk 32 to hold the angle member in assembled member is held securely in any angular position to which it is adjusted, the pressure exerted by the washer 42 being such as to maintain the angle member and plug body in the positions to which they are adjusted while, at the same time, permitting them to be rotated in a horizontal plane relative to each other.

Attached to the upstanding arm 33 of the angle member is a second arm 43 forming part of a second angle member 44 having a plate portion 45 secured to the body.46 of the receptacle I9. The receptacle body 46 is formed of insulating material, such as a molded plastic, similar to the construction of the plug body 2|. The arms 33 and 43 are pivotally secured together for movement in a vertical plane by meansof the rivet 41 and spring washer 48. The spring washer 48 exerts a pressure such that the arms 33 and 4-3 are maintained in any angular position to which they may be moved. The plate 45 is secured to the body of the receptacle by means of a hollow rivet 49 which extends through openings in the plate and body and which is peened over on. the-plate 45 and the interior of the receptacle body formed by a recess 59. Turning movement between the receptacle body 46 and the plate .45-is prevented by bending up the end of the plate to form a projection, as shown at which is seated in a slot 52. formed in the wall of the receptacle body. This means that twisting or turning movement between the receptacle I9 and. the plug l8 takes place only, by relative movementbetween the disk 32 andthe plug base 2!. A threaded shell 53 is mounted within the recess 50, the bottom of the shell being provided with a disk 54 of insulating material carrying a center contact 55; these elements form the electrical. contact means of the receptacle.

In order electricallyto interconnect the receptacle and electric plug, a conductor 56 is soldered at one end to the center contact 55, and this conductor is then led through the hollow rivets 49 and 31 to a point within the recess 22 in the plug body where it is soldered at the other end to the U-shaped nut 28 so that the center contacts of the receptacle and plug are electrically interconnected. Similarly, a second wire 5l'is soldered to the threaded shell 53 of the receptacle, is passed through-the hollow rivets 49 and 31 to a point within the recess 22 and is then soldered to the screw-threaded shell 24 oi the plug is. By this arrangement the polarity of the contact elements of the receptacle and electric plug is maintained the same. A coil spring 59 surrounds the conductors 56 and. 51 at the point where they are exposed between the receptacle and plug and protects them from damage; the spring engages the turned over ends of the rivets 31 and 49 so that it is maintained in position. The conductors are made of flexible material so that they are movable'in accordance with movement of the receptacle.

By employing the adapter itwill be apparent that a reflector lamp may be adjusted to a wide variety of angular positions inasmuch as it may be moved in both a vertical and a horizontal plane. The receptacle may be moved in a vertical'plane about the pivot 41 and, at thesame time, may be rotated in a horizontal plane about the plug base. The friction between the arms of the angle members and between the disk 32 and the plug base is such as to maintain these elements in any position to which they are moved. The adjustment isnot affected by vibrations so that the lamp is maintained in any position to which it is set.

While the angularly movable receptacle has been illustrated and described in combination with an electric plug for connection to a conventional threaded receptacle, it should be manifest that it may be adapted for use with other electrical devices. For example, in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the adapter is shown incorporated into the cover of an outlet box. To this end, a terminal block 59 is fastened to the cover 60 of an outlet box 6| by means of rivets 62; this terminal block takes the place of the plug body IS in that the hollow rivet 49 passes through the terminal block and engages the holding washer 42 and rotatable disk 32. The remaining structure of the adapter remains unchanged from that shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The conducting wires 56 and 51 are connected to terminal screws 64 which in turn may be connected to the wiring system with which the adapter is to be employed. Bythis construction it is possible to make the adapter a part of a fixed wiring-system.

As shown by Fig. 7, a relatively large pivotal movement in a vertical plane between the receptacle I9 and the outlet box is provided for; this amounts to approximately degrees. In ad-- dition, rotation of' the receptacle relative to the outlet box is provided for by pivotal movement of the angular members on the terminal block. By mounting the outlet box in the ceiling it is possible to focus the reflector lamp on an object in almost any position in the room. Since the cover of an outlet box is removable, it is easy to replace existing outlet box covers with ones provided with an adapter thereby making possible a flexible and easily adjustable lighting system which may be incorporated into existing installations.

In Figs. 10 and 11 a modification of the linkage between the receptacle and screw plug is illustrated in which the angle arms 33 and 43 are separated by means of an angularly shaped strap 65, the arms of which are pivoted to the arms 33 and 43. This construction makes it possible to move the receptacle l9 in two planes at right angles to each other thereby giving an additional adjustment to the lamp supplementing that provided by rotation of the angle members relative to the plug base. Otherwise, the construction of the adapter remains unchanged.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An adapter comprising an electric plug having contact means including a screw shell, an

angle member having one arm rotatably mounted on said plug with the other arm extending upwardly at right angles thereto, a second angle member having an arm pivotally connected to the upstanding arm of said first-mentioned angle member and having a plate extending at right angles thereto, an electrical receptacle having contact means including a screw shell mounted on said plate, and means electrically interconnecting said plug and receptacle.

2. An adapter comprising an electric plug having contact means including a screw shell, an angle member having one arm rotatably mounted on said plug with the other arm extending upwardly at right angles thereto, a hollow rivet pivotally connecting said one arm and electric plug, a second angle member having an arm pivotally mounted on the upstanding'arm of said first-mentioned angle member and having'a plate extending at right angles thereto; an electrical tending substantially at right angles, one arm of each member being pivotally connected together, an electric plug pivotally connected to the other arm of one of said angle members, a socket fixed to the other arm of the other of said angle members, conductors electrically interconnecting said electric plug and socket, and interengaging means on said electric plug and said firstmentioned other arm limiting rotation of the plug and arm relatively to one another to an angle of not more than 360 degrees.

4. In an adapter for supporting a lamp or the like, two angle members each having arms extending substantially at right angles, means pivotally connecting one arm of each member together, an electric plug, a hollow rivet pivotally connecting said electric plug to the other arm 'of one of said members, an electric receptacle,

a hollow rivet securing said electric receptacle to the other arm of the other of said angle members, conducting means passing through each of said hollow rivets and electrically interconnecting said plug and receptacle, and interengaging means on said electric plug and said first-mentioned other arm limiting rotation of theplug and arm relative to one another.

5. In an adapter, an electric plug including a housing of insulating material, said housing hav ing an annular channel, a rotatable annular disk seated in said channel, a hollow fastening means pivotally securing said disk on said housing, an

arm extending at right angles to said disk, an

angle member having an arm pivotally connected to said first-mentioned arm and a plate extending substantially at right angles thereto, an electric receptacle, a hollow fastening means securing said receptacle to said plate and conductors passing through each of said hollow fastening means and electrically interconnecting said plug and receptacle.

6. In an adapter, an electric plug including a housing of insulating material, said housing having an annular channel, a rotatable annular disk seated in said channel, a hollow fastening means pivotally securing said disk on said housing, an arm extending at right angles to said disk, an

angle member having an arm pivotally connected to said first-mentioned arm and a plate extending substantially at right angles thereto, an electric receptacle, a hollow fastening means securing said receptacle to said plate, said plate having an extension engaging said receptacle to prevent rotation of said receptacle relative to said plate, and conductors passing through each of said hollow fastening means and electrically interconnecting said plug and receptacle.

. ly interconnecting said receptacle "7. A lamp mounting comprising two angle members each having arms extending substantially at right angles, means pivotally connecting one arm of each member together, an insulating support provided with electric terminal means, means pivotally mounting the other arm of one of said angle members to said support, a socket secured to the other arm of the other of said angle members, and conductors electrically interconnecting said terminal means and socket.

8. A lamp mounting comprising two angle members each having arms extending substantially at right angles, means pivotally connecting one arm of each member together, an insulating support provided with electric terminal means, a hollow rivet pivotally connecting the other arm ofone of said angle members to said support, an electric receptacle, a hollow rivet securing said receptacle to the other arm of the other of said angle members, and conductors passing through said hollow rivets and electricaland said terminal means.

9. In combination, a removable cover for an outlet box, an insulating support mounted on said cover and provided with a terminal means, two angle members having arms extending substantially at right angles, means pivotally connecting one arm of each member together, means pivotally mounting the other arm of one of said angle members to said insulating support, a receptacle secured to the other arm of the other of said angle members and conductors electrically interconnecting said terminal means and receptacle.

FRANK D. BRYANT. WILLIAM R. YOUNG. 

